Tag: China Stops Short of Africa Debt Relief as it Pledges More Cash

UPSC DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (12TH SEPTEMBER, 2024) India and GCC: Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028 Syllabus: GS2/IR Context India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held their inaugural Foreign Ministers meeting in Riyadh, where they adopted a Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028. About This plan encompasses various collaborative activities in health, trade, agriculture, food security, transportation, energy, and culture. The plan allows for additional cooperative areas based on mutual agreement. EAM S. Jaishankar also held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain on the margins of the India-GCC Ministerial meeting. Gulf Region The Gulf Region typically refers to the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. It includes nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This region is known for its vast oil reserves, which have significantly influenced global economics and politics. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) It is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. It was established in 1981. It is Headquartered at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It aims to achieve unity among its members based on their common objectives and their similar political and cultural identities, which are rooted in Arab and Islamic cultures. Presidency of the council rotates annually. Importance of Gulf Region for India India’s priorities include attracting investments to increase economic growth, addressing regional security concerns (including in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf), and enhancing its regional presence and influence. Energy Security: The Gulf countries are major suppliers of crude oil and natural gas to India. India is highly dependent on Gulf oil for its energy needs, making the region crucial for India’s energy security. Remittance: Remittances from Indian expatriates working in the Gulf contribute significantly to India’s economy. Remittance is the non-commercial transfer of money by an individual to his/her home country or family. Security Cooperation: The Gulf region is strategically important for India’s security interests, given its location and influence in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean regions. India’s Relations with GCC Strategic Partnership: GCC is a major trade and investment partner for India. While India has close economic and political ties with all countries, the strategic partnership exists with only Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman. Energy Security: The Gulf region fulfilled 55.3% of India’s total crude oil demand in 2022–23, compared to 63.9% in 2021–22. However, oil imports from Russia have been declining in 2023–24, and there are signs that India’s decreasing dependence on Gulf oil is already reversing. Trade and Investment: The GCC is India’s largest regional bloc trading partner. Trade with the GCC comprised 15.8 percent of India’s total trade in FY2022-23, compared to 11.6 percent of total trade with the European Union. The UAE has consistently been India’s principal trading partner within the Gulf and is India’s third-largest trading partner overall, with Saudi Arabia in fourth place. India also has a significant trade deficit with the GCC which is driven by India’s dependence on GCC countries for oil and gas imports. India’s regional geo-economic focus has driven it to engage with the I2U2 grouping and to join the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The two sides signed an inter-governmental framework agreement on IMEC. However, both initiatives risk being delayed by the Hamas–Israel war. Defence Relations: India’s defense engagements with these countries are gaining significant momentum. The Indian Navy established bilateral exercises with the UAE in 2018, with Qatar in 2019, and with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2021. The Indian Army held its first exercises with the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2024. The UAE is becoming India’s key regional defence partner; the UAE and Oman are the only regional countries with which India holds army, air force and navy exercises. India and the UAE have started trilateral military cooperation with France, holding a maritime exercise in 2023 and an air-force exercise in 2024. Challenges Ahead The outbreak of the Hamas–Israel war and shipping attacks in the Red Sea directly impact India’s energy security and economic growth. Yet India remains reluctant to take an active role in the complex politics of the Middle East and is back to its long-standing balancing act between the Gulf, Iran and Israel. This could become more difficult if the war escalates further. The war has also impacted the I2U2 minilateral group, through the continued postponement of a senior-officials meeting since 2023. India has called for economic initiatives such as I2U2 and IMEC to progress despite the conflict. Other challenges include finalising the India–GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was initially delayed due to a change in the GCC’s chief trade negotiator. The key issue will be reaching an agreement that satisfies all GCC states. Additionally, India must manage diplomatic relations carefully following Islamophobic comments made by Indian officials in 2022. Any Islamophobic rhetoric from Indian nationals stands in contrast to the growing government-to-government display of religious tolerance between India and the Gulf. Way Forward Growing security challenges are sharpening the need for India to become a key ‘strategic partner’ of the Gulf states and to enlarge its regional presence and influence. Increased strategic convergence spanning political, economic and security interests has resulted in a new framework for India–Gulf relations, which, if successfully maintained, will enhance trust levels and enable cooperation to become more ambitious in scope. New Act for Public Health Crisis Syllabus :GS 2/Health In Context An expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has proposed a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA). About Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) It will address a range of public health issues, including epidemics, non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism, through a holistic approach covering prevention, control, and disaster response. The Act would also provide for the creation of skilled public health cadres at national and state levels. Priority Targets: Developing human resources and infrastructure. Creating innovative countermeasures and appropriate high-risk financing. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and surveillance networks. Connecting epidemiological, genomic, laboratory, and clinical data. About Public Health Crisis : Challenges and Concern India, with its vast population and diverse healthcare landscape, faces several public health challenges. Infectious diseases : India grapples with infectious diseases that pose significant threats to public health. For example The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems, leading to overwhelmed hospitals, shortages of medical supplies, and loss of lives. Vector-Borne Diseases: Diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya continue to affect large sections of the population. Infrastructure : India’s healthcare infrastructure faces challenges related to funding, infrastructure gaps, and inadequate staffing. Rural areas often lack proper medical facilities, leading to disparities in healthcare access. Shortage of Healthcare Workers: The shortage of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals exacerbates the crisis. Malnutrition and Maternal Health: Despite progress, malnutrition remains a significant concern. India still grapples with high maternal mortality rates. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) : Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions are on the rise Environmental Health: India faces severe air pollution, especially in urban centers. This contributes to respiratory diseases and other health issues. India’s public health spending : It has been meager, hovering around 1% of GDP. Despite recent increases bringing this closer to 2%, it remains inadequate when compared to global standards. Initiatives National Rural Health Mission (2005) and National Health Mission (2013) focused on strengthening public sector health care. Recent policies emphasize publicly funded health insurance (PFHI) schemes like PMJAY Economic survey data : As a percent of GDP, expenditure on social services has increased from 6.7% in 2017-18 to 7.8% in 2023-24. Correspondingly, health expenditure has increased from 1.4% to 1.9% in the same period. Budget Allocation: Suggestions and Way Forward India’s public health crisis demands a multi-pronged approach involving government policies, community participation, and international collaboration. Lessons need to be learnt from national and global experiences with COVID-19 to inform future preparedness and response strategies. To address the gaps exposed by the pandemic, there must be an increase in public health funding, focusing on both infrastructure and human resources. Strengthening the financial support to states is crucial. Establishing a strong surveillance network and improving data management will be essential for effective public health responses. Investing in the training and development of healthcare professionals is vital. Establish health cadres at both national and state levels to improve emergency management. Create an Empowered Group of Secretaries on Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response (PPER), chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, to coordinate responses. Build and maintain a trained workforce ready for rapid response during emergencies and ensure preparedness during peacetime. There is a need for establishment of a Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response Fund for effective and timely action.

Tag: China Stops Short of Africa Debt Relief as it Pledges More Cash

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